Telling
by Draco-Hermy
Summary: Padma Patil is dating girls now. Specifically, Luna Lovegood. Whose best friend Padma now needs to face. Good thing Padma doesn't have to tell her sister! For the "We're In a Relationship" Challenge! DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.


Padma Patil wasn't usually one for being open about her emotions. She'd never told her twin, Parvati, that guys didn't exactly attract her. She'd never told anyone. So it came as a big shock when Luna Lovegood, a slightly queer girl from the year younger, kissed Padma in the library.

It wasn't a bad shock. Padma liked Luna, how she could be so outgoing about everything. It was a change from Padma's usual routine of burying herself in her studies to date someone like that. Not that that many people knew they were together. There were only two other girls in Padma's year in Ravenclaw, and they were the only people she'd told. They'd taken it well.

Luna kept urging Padma to tell her twin about them, and she wanted to, but she knew that it wouldn't go over nearly as nicely. Their family wasn't exactly open to homosexuals, to put it civilly.

But she wanted to tell _someone_, so the two had decided to break the news to Ginny Weasley, Luna's best friend from Gryffindor. It was over Christmas break that they finally went to Gryffindor Tower (somehow Luna knew where it was), and waited for someone to open the portrait hole.

Padma couldn't help but look down on the crude entrance to the Gryffindor common room. It was simply the painting of a rather large woman, who was quite rude to the two of them, and wanted a password. The Ravenclaw way of answering a question to be let in seemed much better, and proved that one was a worthy Ravenclaw.

But there they were, sitting next to each other across from the painting, waiting.

"How do you think she'll take it?" Padma asked for the eighth time.

Luna smiled at her. "She'll be fine, Padma. She's my friend for a reason. You know I wouldn't befriend someone that wouldn't accept me." Padma nodded. She knew that was true, but from what Parvati had said about Ginny, the girl was feisty and a bit temperamental. Nice enough, but still. Padma had every reason to be afraid of some sort of hex being put on her for dating Luna.

"Stop worrying, Padma." Luna put a hand on her knee. "Everything will be fine."

What seemed like hours later, the portrait hole finally opened. Padma sat up a bit straighter.

"Hey, Luna," Ron said, climbing out of the portrait hole. Luna waved. He nodded stiffly in Padma's direction. "Padma."

Obviously he was remembering their 'date' at the Yule Ball two years prior. Padma resisted the urge to roll her eyes and nodded back. She'd only agreed to go with Ron because Parvati begged her. Padma's twin had gotten the chance to go with Harry Potter, and he'd asked her to set Padma up with Ron. Parvati couldn't bear to let Harry down, so she'd all but forced Padma to go with him.

It hadn't been a very fun night. Ron had refused to dance with or even look at Padma, preferring to stare moodily at Hermione Granger having a great time with Viktor Krum. Eventually, a boy from Beauxbatons had asked Padma to dance, and she'd accepted to get away from the male teenage angst that was Ron.

"Hey, Ron, can you go get Ginny for us?" Luna asked. Ron hesitated. "I'd go in myself, but I'm pretty sure I'd get thrown out."

Ron sighed. "Fine. But you owe me one, Luna."

"Sure," Luna said, and smiled at Padma, who returned it.

A few minutes later, Ginny was standing in front of Padma and Luna in the hallway in front of the Fat Lady.

"If there are going to be any awkward conversations, can you please not have them in front of me?" the portrait asked. Ginny shot her a glare, but led the couple down the stairs to a more private landing.

"What did you get me for? I was taking a nap," she said, crossing her arms.

"We're dating," Luna said, hugging Padma.

"Well, you don't beat around the bush, do you?" Ginny asked, grinning. Padma relaxed a bit.

"You're not mad?" she asked.

Ginny chuckled. "Why would I be mad?"

"Padma has irrational fears," Luna said. Padma narrowed her eyes at her.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Have you told Parvati yet? 'Cause she's right inside-"

"No!" Padma grabbed Ginny's arm. "You have to swear you won't tell her. Please. She'd freak."

Ginny looked to Luna for some help, but Padma's girlfriend wisely stayed out of this one.

"Fine. You're going to have to let her know at some point, though."

"Yeah, I'm aware. But I think I've gone through enough stress today." Ginny smiled and walked back to the common room.

Luna grabbed Padma's hand. "That went great, didn't it?"

Padma allowed herself a small smile. "Yeah. It did. Ginny's pretty great."

"I told you." Padma was taller than Luna, who had to stand on her toes to kiss her, which she did.

"All right, fine, you were right. Can we go get breakfast now?"

"Stress eating is not good."

"It would have been stress eating an hour ago, but now I'm just hungry. Let's go!" Padma really was hungry, but she couldn't wait to get out of that area.

The news had gone well, true, but she really didn't want to think about what she knew had to come next.


End file.
